Please post your VOTE for up to 6 {six} of the questions provided in this thread, letting us know which ones you most want to see asked on July 2nd. Keep in mind that your votes in round 69 do not count in this round, so if your question is still on the list you may want to vote for it again.

Also, feel free to post new questions. For reference, here are Hasbro's answers to previous SSG questions (http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1934); and from other sites (http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1936). The questions we asked last round can be found here (http://forums.sirstevesguide.com/showthread.php?p=681804#post681804).

Current questions (vote for up to 6):

- In Hasbro's awesome Comic-Packs line, we've been treated to Marvel Star Wars issues 1-4, and Dark Horse Revenge of the Sith issues 1, 3, and 4. Any chance we could get comic packs of the missing Marvel SW #5 and 6, and Dark Horse ROTS #2, to complete their respective tales? (Just spitballing ideas: we could certainly do with a Leia/3PO pack for MSW#5 and perhaps a Rebel/Imperial Pilot set for #6, and ROTS #2 could use Grievous and a new deco Clone.) And what about Comic Packs for the other movie adaptation comics like Marvel ESB and ROTJ, or Dark Horse TPM and AOTC?
- In the Clone Wars line, a few scale issues have come up. Obi-Wan and Anakin figures stand pretty short compared to their non-animated figure counterparts, while Clone Troopers stand unusually tall compared to their non-animated counterparts, and obviously this means CW Obi-Wan and Anakin stand pretty short compared to the Clones. What gives here? Was this an intentional choice, and if so, why?
- Why are the Droid Factory build-a-droid parts for C-3PX incompatible with the basic figures' build-a-droid parts, especially the other protocol droids like RA7's? 3PX has a ball joint for his head while RA7 has a post, and the pegs for the arms and legs also differ, thus making it impossible to mix-n-match parts, which the concept had otherwise highly adopted. Was this done on purpose, and if so, why?
- Does Hasbro have any plans to update the Dianoga in the near future? We need one that is better detailed, better articulated and perhaps featuring multiple bendy tentacles. If you were to update the Dianoga, what format would you release it in: Battle Pack, a basic carded figure, Ultimate Battle Pack, something else?
- This might seem like an odd request, but could you re-issue the old Kenner X-wing, specifically the POTF2 version, with some modifications? There's no X-wing at kid pricing anymore, the only OT vehicles at the Starfighter pricepoint are lonely TIEs with nobody to fight, and that classic X-wing had some decent sculpting, strong wings, and is fun to whoosh about. As well, the POTF2 version had a pretty decent deco (though pre-applied stickers would be nice), and that version also had the best sound effects in any X-wing (aside from the Power FX X-wing, but the sacrifices there are numerous), those sounds alone would sell another batch to collectors. The set could use a tune-up on the cockpit interior, the canopy exterior, the dedicated R2-D2, and the blaster tips need to be reoriented to the proper upright position. Don't you think the kids today deserve an awesome X-wing fighter?
- In a recent Q&A, you mentioned that "[Hasbro] will continue working with Sideshow on their 12" figure program." As we know, Sideshow sub-licenses their 12" Star Wars through Hasbro's Star Wars license, but the intricacies of this relationship are not fully understood. With your recent comment above, collectors are ever more curious as to how exactly Hasbro and Sideshow work together on that 12" figure line. What types of input does Hasbro have into the Star Wars items that Sideshow produces?
- Beyond Star Wars, many other franchises have tried their hand at Titanium Series - Battlestar Galactica, Indiana Jones, Marvel, Transformers, even Stargate was floated as being in some level of planning - yet they all eventually faded away from Titanium Series' light. What lessons has the Titanium Series team taken away from those other licenses' lines and their passings? For example, you put off the wave with the BSG Basestar and couldn't find a slot for this new tooling before the license ran out, yet you released a Starbuck repaint of the Viper mk 2 at theproverbial 11th hour (and didn't hit shelves until the 13th hour), an unusual distinction which fans don't really understand, and could use more behind-the-scenes insight into - why didn't that Basestar tooling get shoehorned into a later wave before the license with Universal ran out? Why release a repaint vehicle that won't satisfy fans as much, rather than an all-new mold which fans have been clamoring for?
- Regarding the future of Star Wars Mighty Muggs, what wave will be the final one at retail before the line becomes a TRU exclusive? Will some sought-after previous entries like Leia and the Stormtrooper be re-released? For Entertainment Earth's shared exclusives, who will they be sharing those with?
- What was the decision making process behind creating a Jabba the Hutt animated figure instead of a Ziro the Hutt figure? Ziro has appeared in the Clone Wars series more than Jabba so far, and his animated behavior fits the Clone Wars animated series better than Jabba. Was it merely the character recognizability of Jabba, or the fact that you had existing accessories for him, or was the idea of an evil Truman Capote Hutt just too out there for ya?
- On the Toy Fair slideshow image for the Walmart Droid Factory 2-packs, the Boba Fett shown with BL-17 doesn't appear to have the chest emblem on his armor, just like the majority of the Evolutions Boba Fett on which this figure is based. Was this merely a photography issue, will the final version of the Droid Factory Boba Fett be sporting the proper chest emblem tampo, or is the missing emblem to be expected on this set?
- Are there any plans to make an R6-series Astromech Droid, either as a build-a-droid or a basic figure? This would be the realistic-styled droid with the unique head, not the Clone Wars version that's visually just another R2. We currently have R1 through R5 and then R7, but no R6. The only new tooling for R6 would be a new dome, as the body is the same as the R2 and similar. What about R8 and R9 droids?
- Having worked on the modern line for some time now, you've no doubt had to look back at the original Kenner line's grand history many times when deciding what the future of the modern line will be. So you've seen it all and made yourselves familiar with figures, vehicles, accessories, cards, boxes, and even baggies from the '78 - '85 Star Wars line. With that in mind, what does the current team consider some of the most oddball, head-scratching entries from that original Kenner line? What types of things do you guys look back and you can't even imagine doing with the modern line? (And should we give Mark Boudreaux a free pass since he actually DID work on that original line, or pull a Sophie's Choice and make him take sides?)
- C-3PO needs new figures from across the saga, it's sad but true. The original Ep I Threepio figure was quite good, but he needs knee and ankle joints, perhaps the ability to hold the Anakin Skywalker podracing flag, and a little more accurate deco with yellow eyes and slightly toned-down wires. Episode II Threepio's removable parts gimmick hampered this figure's design, and since then we've gotten the fantastically-sculpted U-3PO Build-a-Droid figure, so that mold could sport the Ep 2 Threepio deco. And then there's the OT Threepio, which you've recently said is hampered with vac-metal bodies because LFL is stuck on the concept over a painted look. However, your team has produced some great-looking shiny silver protocol droids lately without vac-metallizing, and Hasbro's Marvel Universe team has been able to produce 2 different tones of shiny, metallic-looking gold colors on a few Iron Man figures, which are still super-articulated. Is something of those qualities still not to Lucasfilm's approval, or might we finally be seeing a truly super-articulated Threepio soon?
- In ye olden days, playsets were keen, but MICRO-scale playsets were really where it was at. Old-skool fans still to this day fondly remember Kenner's expansive Micro Collection series. And Galoob put themselves on the map in the mid-'90s with nearly 30 different creative, clever, fun Micro Machines playsets. Granted, Hasbro's stance on playsets for the 3.75" market is abundantly clear in that there's no mass market left there, but has any thought been put into playsets for the ongoing Galactic Heroes line? The brand's cute little styling could translate very well to playsets, and the brand has legs with both kids and collectors. Collectors love to put figures in context, and kids can always use environments to structure play patterns. The cardboard "playsets" from the recent battle packs are nifty, but kids play rough and cardboard doesn't take much abuse. Competitor Fisher-Price's Imaginext line has tons of creative and fun playsets around the same scale as G. Heroes which some kids have repurposed into Star Wars environments such as Jabba's Sail Barge from the pirate ship. So what about actual playsets for Galactic Heroes?
- There's been a great focus on troop-building with prequel- and Clone Wars-themed battle packs, especially lately, with even more on the way. Reasonable, after all, it is "Star *Wars*". However, this tactic hasn't been done all that much with the Original Trilogy troops, there are no squad packs or anything of that nature (except for the Tantive IV pack). Understanding that there is more troop-oriented storytelling going on with the era, there are still plenty of kids and casual collectors who want to set up battles with Stormtroopers and Rebel Troopers from all 3 OT films, the battle packs themselves can help do the storytelling to guide play. So why aren't we seeing more troop-building Battle Packs for the OT?
- Understanding that new tooling costs are a major prohibitive factor in creating playsets, has the Hasbro SW team considered digging out the original GI Joe Headquarters playset tooling to repurpose for the Clone Wars line? Its design is generic sci-fi enough that without resculpting it could pass as a Republic base - such as Rishi Station from "Rookiees" - with simply a different sticker sheet for the control panels. It has a landing pad, a hallway/garage for BARC Speeders, and basic features that keep costs down but fit Clone Wars play patterns. So, any thought given to this idea before? If not, what do you think, and what would its chances be?
- Recently, pictures surfaced of a few Clone Wars two-packs based around specific episodes, including characters from "Ambush" and "Rookies". While these look to be great ways to expand episode-specific collections, they also cover existing or already-planned ground. Why were some one-off clones like Thire and Echo chosen for inclusion in these sets when they're also being released via other avenues? It seems like it would make more sense to keep these characters unique to one release so that collectors wouldn't have to choose between releases. Will we be seeing more of these screen scene-type 2-packs, and will they be covering more types of characters beyond just clones? Out of the 4 two-packs we've seen so far, the only non-clone is Yoda.
- The end of the Titanium era has brought much dismay to collectors, not simply because of the grim unlikelihood for the future behind the "hiatus" status, but also because it leaves many great ships nearly impossible to find. Many Titaniums that saw limited releases or worse and were expected to get re-released in the future are now going to be mythical at best, such as the Gungan Bongo Sub (now doomed to be postponed into eternity), Trade Federation Landing Craft, Anakin's Podracer, Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, Rogue Shadow, Luke Skywalker's X-wing (Sculpt 2), AOTC Naboo Royal Cruiser, Droid Gunship, Hailfire Droid, P-38 Magnaguard Starfighter, and more. What with the line's demise skunking the fans out of some great molds, would it be possible to get any sort of limited rereleases of these incredibly difficult to acquire treasures - and the ones that almost made it such as the Bongo - as HasbroToyShop exclusives? If not, why not? Isn't seeing ANY financial return on molds that haven't made their money back better than no return at all?
- Resculpts and Clone Wars outfits notwithstanding, there are 20 new outfits for Padme Amidala that you could still produce, and nine years left until your license expires. That said, what's your plan for our favorite queen-turned-senator? Relatively lackluster sales of Breha Organa, another regal female character, might point to a lack of interest in new Padme outfits; there's also the fact that many of the costumes are similar to one another in style and color, particularly her many dark blue and purple ROTS robes. However, when released in cautious numbers, Padme can fully sell through and satiate collectors. Do you plan on making all of her outfits over the course of the line? If not, then how many more do you think we can expect to see, and which ones are most likely?

Vote now, and suggest new questions too. Thanks for participating!

Cane_Adiss

06-11-2009, 10:42 AM

4, 6, 9, 11

vger

06-11-2009, 02:54 PM

My votes are for 1 and 11 and:

Any plans for improved versions of TPM C-3PO and AOTC C-3PO? TPM C-3PO just needs knee joints and yellow eyes. AOTC C-3PO could be a repaint of the C-3PO Ewok Deity or, since it wouldn't be vac-metal, the amazing U-3PO B.A.D. sculpt.

bigbarada

06-11-2009, 04:53 PM

5 and 6 for now.

Asking an old question in a new way:
Recently, when asked about creating a new C-3PO figure that wasn't held back in the articulation department by the traditional vac-metalized coating, you stated that it was essentially up to Lucasfilm and they were not happy with simply a metallic colored plastic. However, your Marvel Universe team has been able to produce shiny, metallic looking Iron Man figures that are still super-articulated. Is that not shiny enough for Lucasfilm? Or is that a technique that could potentially carry over into the Star Wars line? Preferably towards a shiny gold, super-articulated C-3PO?

Ando

06-11-2009, 06:44 PM

Just number 5 for me.

DarkJedi5

06-12-2009, 01:26 PM

4, 10 and 11 to start.

JediTricks

06-12-2009, 06:33 PM

Just a quick note, the final date for these is July 2nd, I'll be sending them in on June 30th.

JediTricks

06-15-2009, 10:56 PM

Questions 12 - 13 added.

12 is mine, if you are wondering where that came from.

Any plans for improved versions of TPM C-3PO and AOTC C-3PO? TPM C-3PO just needs knee joints and yellow eyes. AOTC C-3PO could be a repaint of the C-3PO Ewok Deity or, since it wouldn't be vac-metal, the amazing U-3PO B.A.D. sculpt.See next...

Asking an old question in a new way:
Recently, when asked about creating a new C-3PO figure that wasn't held back in the articulation department by the traditional vac-metalized coating, you stated that it was essentially up to Lucasfilm and they were not happy with simply a metallic colored plastic. However, your Marvel Universe team has been able to produce shiny, metallic looking Iron Man figures that are still super-articulated. Is that not shiny enough for Lucasfilm? Or is that a technique that could potentially carry over into the Star Wars line? Preferably towards a shiny gold, super-articulated C-3PO?
May as well combine these since it's all 3PO-oriented. Each of you has a vote counted for the combined question.

Obsession is Nute

06-16-2009, 01:19 AM

1 and 12 for me. Thanks!

bigbarada

06-16-2009, 01:33 AM

Put me down for a vote on #12 as well.

Cane_Adiss

06-16-2009, 01:34 AM

New Question! Yes JT I'm totally serious with this one, as you could probably guess! Please give it some serious consideration (and serious mercy, if you're capable of such a thing). Kidding (seriously)! :thumbsup:

We know that the people at Hasbro have stated in the past that there are no plans to extend the build-a-droid concept into other types of characters, however there are two movie aliens who would lend themselves perfectly to such a concept: Kal'Falnl C'ndros from ANH and Cane Adiss from ROTJ. Because both of these are larger sized aliens, surely this concept would be a convenient and possibly more viable way for them to see release than trying to truncate their scale to cram them into basic cards. For example, Kal'Falnl could be divided 6 ways into a 6 figure wave (i.e.- 2 legs, 2 "arms", body w/ molded on backpack, and head/neck) and Cane 8 ways for an 8 figure wave (i.e. 2 each arms and legs, body, 2 heads/necks, and assuming he has one - a tail.) Hasbro has seemed reluctant in the past to add these to their "parking lot" or give them much consideration at all for that matter. That said there are still many collectors (mainly fans of the cantina and Jabba's palace) that would very much love to see these in their collections. Plus, these two have an interesting EU connection so they would compliment one another well. What does Hasbro have to say to such an idea?

LTBasker

06-16-2009, 02:45 AM

I feel as though something similar may have been asked before, but not entirely sure. Still, wanted to toss this out there for consideration.

The end of the Titanium era has brought much dismay to collectors, not simply because of the uncertain future behind the "hiatus" status, but also because it leaves many great ships as impossible to get, such as the Trade Federation Landing Craft, the Magnaguard Fighter and the Rogue Shadow. Would it be possible to see a limited return next year with rereleases of these incredibly difficult to acquire treasures - and the ones that almost made it such as the Bongo - as HasbroToyShop exclusives?

And, here's my votes so far.

7. - Beyond Star Wars, many other franchises have tried their hand at Titanium Series - Battlestar Galactica, Indiana Jones, Marvel, Transformers, even Stargate was floated as being in some level of planning - yet they all eventually faded away from Titanium Series' light. What lessons has the Titanium Series team taken away from those other licenses' lines and their passings? For example, you put off the wave with the BSG Basestar and couldn't find a slot for this new tooling before the license ran out, yet you released a Starbuck repaint of the Viper mk 2 at theproverbial 11th hour (and didn't hit shelves until the 13th hour), an unusual distinction which fans don't really understand, and could use more behind-the-scenes insight into - why didn't that Basestar tooling get shoehorned into a later wave before the license with Universal ran out? Why release a repaint vehicle that won't satisfy fans as much, rather than an all-new mold which fans have been clamoring for?
8. - Regarding the future of Star Wars Mighty Muggs, what wave will be the final one at retail before the line becomes a TRU exclusive? Will some sought-after previous entries like Leia and the Stormtrooper be re-released? For Entertainment Earth's shared exclusives, who will they be sharing those with?
12. - Having worked on the modern line for some time now, you've no doubt had to look back at the original Kenner line's grand history many times when deciding what the future of the modern line will be. So you've seen it all and made yourselves familiar with figures, vehicles, accessories, cards, boxes, and even baggies from the '78 - '85 Star Wars line. With that in mind, what does the current team consider some of the most oddball, head-scratching entries from that original Kenner line? What types of things do you guys look back and you can't even imagine doing with the modern line? (And should we give Mark Boudreaux a free pass since he actually DID work on that original line, or pull a Sophie's Choice and make him take sides?)

Darth Marco

06-16-2009, 12:58 PM

I will vote for 12 and 13 for now.

Ando

06-16-2009, 01:02 PM

Just number 5 for me.

Add votes for 12 + 13 for me in addition to number 5.

Darth Metalmute

06-16-2009, 02:49 PM

6 and 9.

Has anything like this every been asked?

We know that doing playsets for the 3.5 inch figures has been considered to not be a kid-friendly endeavor, but has any thought been placed to playsets for the Galactic Heroes line? The collector sets come with cardboard playsets that kids seem to like, however kids play rough and cardboard has a small life-cycle. Playsets such as Jabba's throne or an echo base turret landscape for the AT-AT would seemingly be a hit with kids, especially at that scale.

sonofsokol

06-16-2009, 03:57 PM

I love the idea of galactic heroes playsets. I've spent 30 minutes removing the figuers from those boxes to preserve the backdrop and any other cardboard "props" just to see them end up in the trash days later. My son usually builds his own backdrops and turrets and jedi temples out of legos or blocks... he'd freak out for an actual playset.

If this question get added, put down a vote from me.

Darth Metalmute

06-16-2009, 04:05 PM

I love the idea of galactic heroes playsets. I've spent 30 minutes removing the figuers from those boxes to preserve the backdrop and any other cardboard "props" just to see them end up in the trash days later. My son usually builds his own backdrops and turrets and jedi temples out of legos or blocks... he'd freak out for an actual playset.

If this question get added, put down a vote from me.

The galatic heroes are kind of on the same scale as Imaginext from Fisher Price. They have all sorts of playsets for their line. It obviously must be a good seller and is cheeply priced. My son uses those pieces and makes Star Wars playsets out of them. He even turned the pirate ship into Jabba's sail barge.

JediTricks

06-16-2009, 04:12 PM

Question 14 added.

New Question! Yes JT I'm totally serious with this one, as you could probably guess! See, when you say that stuff, I know I'm in trouble. :p

We know that the people at Hasbro have stated in the past that there are no plans to extend the build-a-droid concept into other types of characters, however there are two movie aliens who would lend themselves perfectly to such a concept: Kal'Falnl C'ndros from ANH and Cane Adiss from ROTJ. Because both of these are larger sized aliens, surely this concept would be a convenient and possibly more viable way for them to see release than trying to truncate their scale to cram them into basic cards. For example, Kal'Falnl could be divided 6 ways into a 6 figure wave (i.e.- 2 legs, 2 "arms", body w/ molded on backpack, and head/neck) and Cane 8 ways for an 8 figure wave (i.e. 2 each arms and legs, body, 2 heads/necks, and assuming he has one - a tail.) Hasbro has seemed reluctant in the past to add these to their "parking lot" or give them much consideration at all for that matter. That said there are still many collectors (mainly fans of the cantina and Jabba's palace) that would very much love to see these in their collections. Plus, these two have an interesting EU connection so they would compliment one another well. What does Hasbro have to say to such an idea?Ok, so there are 3 roadblocks you have to address first before I can get on board with this idea:

1) How exactly is it "perfectly" lent to the concept? They are not droids, they do not have interchangeable parts that could fit in anywhere in the SW universe without a complete figure, they don't have sharp lines which are easier to sculpt and less complex to tool up.

2) So far, the BAD series hasn't done anything remotely larger than the regular basic figures, so how is doing larger-than-basic figures expected to fit the existing business model? This isn't WM's Droid Factory where they're getting a larger than normal figure (though that too has droid-like lines where your requests don't).

3) I haven't seen virtually anybody else request the Ostrich gal or the giraffe-neck guy(s) yet. You keep saying that "many" collectors would "love" to see them in their collections, but I don't see it come up in any discussion threads, there's no Dear Hasbro thread with thousands of views the way Yarna and the Clone Turbo Tank have. I'm just not seeing the fan demand to match the claims, and this is really a major roadblock right now what with Hasbro saying they're dialing back the collector-oriented figures to ensure the line doesn't fold.

I feel as though something similar may have been asked before, but not entirely sure. Still, wanted to toss this out there for consideration.

The end of the Titanium era has brought much dismay to collectors, not simply because of the uncertain future behind the "hiatus" status, but also because it leaves many great ships as impossible to get, such as the Trade Federation Landing Craft, the Magnaguard Fighter and the Rogue Shadow. Would it be possible to see a limited return next year with rereleases of these incredibly difficult to acquire treasures - and the ones that almost made it such as the Bongo - as HasbroToyShop exclusives?We sorta touched on that on May 1st:
SSG: With the unfortunate announcement of the Titanium Series line ending after 2009, fans want to know all about its now-limited future. How many new tools will we be getting between now and its end? When can we expect the last wave, and what will be in that wave? What happens to tooling and promises that were on the bubble for '09, like the Outrider which was promised and forgotten last year and then promised again for the end of '09, or the Gungan Sub which was tooled up and promised in 2000 but canceled? Using the term "hiatus" as you did, is there any hope for the brand's revival in the foreseeable future? As Titanium Series is the only outlet for the majority of Star Wars vehicle toys these days, will Hasbro be filling that void with an all-plastic form of Titaniums?
Hasbro: There should be nine all-new tools to look for from now until the end of the year, with numerous other repaints rounding out the line (these new tools all follow the latest that have hit shipped recently - BARC Speeder, Xizor's Ship, and IG-2000). The nine include: Hound's Tooth, Clone Wars Y-Wing, Hyena Bomber, Punishing One, Malevolence, a new Republic Gunship tool, Mist Hunter, Nebulon B Frigate, and the Outrider. Unfortunately, the Gungan Sub did not make the cut. We have a lot of heart for the series ourselves - it is amazing to reflect back on the 5-1/2 year run of this line and the incredible number of cool ships that were brought out. We are proud of it and feel it was a tremendous line, but we just couldn't keep it active any longer since the large development cost, the need for a lot of items to maintain retail productivity (an outcome of having a smaller but passionate fan base), and high cost of goods are all factors that could not be addressed for a healthy line. Aside from perhaps an improved cost of goods, an all-plastic vehicle line would not solve the problem either, since tooling costs are the same for plastic or metal, we would still need to introduce a ton of designs, and it would not necessarily attract a larger audience for Titanium. It's something we'll be exploring, though. It's important that we continue to work on ways to bring out the most exciting Star Wars vehicle lineup we can.
And direct sales:
Rebelscum.com: If collector-oriented obscure movie-only background figures are going to be less common in the basic line, is there any other place where they could be offered like a HasbroToyShop similar to MattyCollector.com? Their online-exclusive lines have been pretty successful and they are limited runs. You know, like the Lucas Family box set that was offered on StarWarsShop.com?
Hasbro: We have actually been in business with this model before with the GI Joe line, and it has *not* been a successful business model. The reality is that online sales are only a small fraction of the total releases that brick and mortar will support. Despite the ease of getting figures online, many fans simply don't bother, or they enjoy the thrill of the hunt that is part of their collecting experience. As such, we have no plans to move back to this space and we prefer to devote our resources to delivering figures within our mainline assortments along with great exclusives and occasional Convention items.
That said, neither question really gets to the heart of what you're going for, but they clearly aren't going for an HTS thing so the question needs to be posed in a different manner. Also, I'd like a full list of examples of ships you feel are deserving of this sort of release, with the Bongo at the top. I have a feeling this is one of those questions that I'll just end up asking them directly at Comic-Con, but I'd rather have it in here first.

Has anything like this every been asked?

We know that doing playsets for the 3.5 inch figures has been considered to not be a kid-friendly endeavor, but has any thought been placed to playsets for the Galactic Heroes line? The collector sets come with cardboard playsets that kids seem to like, however kids play rough and cardboard has a small life-cycle. Playsets such as Jabba's throne or an echo base turret landscape for the AT-AT would seemingly be a hit with kids, especially at that scale.I kinda remember one, but as there are SOOOOOO many questions about GH and Playsets, it's really difficult to find out for sure. Also, your examples make for rather non-growth play patterns, Jabba's throne works with only a few figures, and a turret among a snow base is a bit sleepy. But, with all that in mind, I'm gonna add the question, and count your vote for it.

Ando

06-16-2009, 04:16 PM

Please tally a vote for me for #14 as well.

Darth Metalmute

06-16-2009, 04:19 PM

I kinda remember one, but as there are SOOOOOO many questions about GH and Playsets, it's really difficult to find out for sure. Also, your examples make for rather non-growth play patterns, Jabba's throne works with only a few figures, and a turret among a snow base is a bit sleepy. But, with all that in mind, I'm gonna add the question, and count your vote for it.

Thanks,
That's some editing job!:shocked::D

Can you include a line about how well the Imaginext playsets are doing at a comparative size? I just curious if Hasbro has actually looked at the numbers, considering the success of Imaginext playsets.

JediTricks

06-16-2009, 04:32 PM

I love the idea of galactic heroes playsets. I've spent 30 minutes removing the figuers from those boxes to preserve the backdrop and any other cardboard "props" just to see them end up in the trash days later. My son usually builds his own backdrops and turrets and jedi temples out of legos or blocks... he'd freak out for an actual playset.

If this question get added, put down a vote from me.Ok, will do.

The galatic heroes are kind of on the same scale as Imaginext from Fisher Price. They have all sorts of playsets for their line. It obviously must be a good seller and is cheeply priced. My son uses those pieces and makes Star Wars playsets out of them. He even turned the pirate ship into Jabba's sail barge.Hmm, I think I'll add that element even though it is owned by Mattel and not Hasbro.

Thanks,
That's some editing job!:shocked::D:thumbsup:

Can you include a line about how well the Imaginext playsets are doing at a comparative size? I just curious if Hasbro has actually looked at the numbers, considering the success of Imaginext playsets."Looked at the numbers" would be difficult since Imaginext is from their chief competitor.

Darth Metalmute

06-16-2009, 04:40 PM

"Looked at the numbers" would be difficult since Imaginext is from their chief competitor.

They might have a mole on the inside.......:bandit:

Thank you for adding that part.

clone157

06-16-2009, 07:39 PM

Hey how about this question:
Given that new tooling costs are usually the prohibitive factor in the possibility of a playset, has any thought been given to rereleasing the old G.I. Joe headquarters but repurposed for the Clone Wars line? The only modifications needed would be a new label sheet in the Star Wars vein.

JediTricks

06-16-2009, 08:17 PM

I'm not sure I understand the idea, or which Joe Headquarters you mean (there are 2 of the classic HQ design, and a few others of alternate designs). What playset would that make for CW?

LTBasker

06-16-2009, 09:17 PM

That said, neither question really gets to the heart of what you're going for, but they clearly aren't going for an HTS thing so the question needs to be posed in a different manner. Also, I'd like a full list of examples of ships you feel are deserving of this sort of release, with the Bongo at the top. I have a feeling this is one of those questions that I'll just end up asking them directly at Comic-Con, but I'd rather have it in here first.

Noted - I'll analyze some checklists to get ya a full list. As for the question, should the phrasing be a neutral inquiry, begging-ish, or a swift thrust to the jugular?

JediTricks

06-17-2009, 06:36 PM

Noted - I'll analyze some checklists to get ya a full list. As for the question, should the phrasing be a neutral inquiry, begging-ish, or a swift thrust to the jugular?
Go however you feel seems right, you've read their answers on the whole thing and know where they are in responses. If it needs tweaking when I get to it, I'll just tone it up or down as needed. Begging doesn't generally get anything done though.

Devo

06-18-2009, 12:08 AM

Would anyone be interested in a question asking why it appears that Hasbro will release packs for the clone wars that appear to be geared towards troop building and yet will not do so for the OT? I'd like to its just I haven't done my research on what Clone wars troop packs there are due to my own lack of interest in that whole thing - a rebelscum member told me that such things do exist and he and I were boggled in the mind as to why troop multipacks are evidently not considered viable for the OT line. I know questions about this have been asked before but maybe not in light of these clone wars sets.

clone157

06-18-2009, 12:13 AM

I'm not sure I understand the idea, or which Joe Headquarters you mean (there are 2 of the classic HQ design, and a few others of alternate designs). What playset would that make for CW?

I was thinking of the first release. It would make a good version of the base from "Rookies", you know, since we're getting the clones and the droid commandos. Plus I need a place to park our new BARC speeders and the eventual rerelease of the AT-RTs. The landing pad is just gravy for our new gunships we will be getting soon.

Ando

06-18-2009, 11:19 AM

I was thinking of the first release. It would make a good version of the base from "Rookies", you know, since we're getting the clones and the droid commandos. Plus I need a place to park our new BARC speeders and the eventual rerelease of the AT-RTs. The landing pad is just gravy for our new gunships we will be getting soon.

If this question gets added, I will vote for it. I think you and I have the same interests, clone157.

Mr. JabbaJohnL

06-18-2009, 03:21 PM

Would anyone be interested in a question asking why it appears that Hasbro will release packs for the clone wars that appear to be geared towards troop building and yet will not do so for the OT? I'd like to its just I haven't done my research on what Clone wars troop packs there are due to my own lack of interest in that whole thing - a rebelscum member told me that such things do exist and he and I were boggled in the mind as to why troop multipacks are evidently not considered viable for the OT line. I know questions about this have been asked before but maybe not in light of these clone wars sets.
I think we asked about this a few years ago, with the first set of Order 66 two-packs, but I'm not sure what they said. They are doing a few Clone Wars two-packs now, but they're not really army building sets so much as releases of the named clones from throughout the series. At any rate, I'd like to know more about them, so let's see:

*Recently, pictures were released of clone-based two-packs, including characters from Ambush and Rookies. While these look to be great ways to expand episode-specific collections, they also raise a few questions. Why were some one-off clones - like Thire and Echo - chosen for inclusion in these sets when they're also being released individually? It seems like it would make more sense to keep these characters unique to one release so that collectors wouldn't have to choose between releases. Will we see more of these in the future, and if so, will they continue to be clone-focused (Waxer and Boil would be great choices here, as would the myriad pilots and their droids) or will we see other characters as well, including expansions into Legacy Collection (something like an Ewok with a Biker Scout or a Hoth Trooper with a Snowtrooper)?

I suppose we could save something like this for after Comic Con, since they're likely to address these sets there.

JediTricks

06-18-2009, 04:19 PM

Questions 15 - 17 added.

Would anyone be interested in a question asking why it appears that Hasbro will release packs for the clone wars that appear to be geared towards troop building and yet will not do so for the OT? I'd like to its just I haven't done my research on what Clone wars troop packs there are due to my own lack of interest in that whole thing - a rebelscum member told me that such things do exist and he and I were boggled in the mind as to why troop multipacks are evidently not considered viable for the OT line. I know questions about this have been asked before but maybe not in light of these clone wars sets.I'll add that. It's been kind of addressed in the past, but not to a satisfying point, and their logic IMO is flawed and circular.

I was thinking of the first release. It would make a good version of the base from "Rookies", you know, since we're getting the clones and the droid commandos. Plus I need a place to park our new BARC speeders and the eventual rerelease of the AT-RTs. The landing pad is just gravy for our new gunships we will be getting soon.Ah, Rishi Station and the original HQ, I can see that (the later HQ is good too, but has sandbags and a few real-world elements. They'll almost certainly say no to this (old tooling expensive to bring up to code, hasn't passed modern safety regs or drop testing) but it's worth floating the idea because it's a workable concept.
For those not familiar, the original Joe HQ: http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/83/headquarters/

I think we asked about this a few years ago, with the first set of Order 66 two-packs, but I'm not sure what they said. They are doing a few Clone Wars two-packs now, but they're not really army building sets so much as releases of the named clones from throughout the series. At any rate, I'd like to know more about them, so let's see:

*Recently, pictures were released of clone-based two-packs, including characters from Ambush and Rookies. While these look to be great ways to expand episode-specific collections, they also raise a few questions. Why were some one-off clones - like Thire and Echo - chosen for inclusion in these sets when they're also being released individually? It seems like it would make more sense to keep these characters unique to one release so that collectors wouldn't have to choose between releases. Will we see more of these in the future, and if so, will they continue to be clone-focused (Waxer and Boil would be great choices here, as would the myriad pilots and their droids) or will we see other characters as well, including expansions into Legacy Collection (something like an Ewok with a Biker Scout or a Hoth Trooper with a Snowtrooper)?

I suppose we could save something like this for after Comic Con, since they're likely to address these sets there.I was really thinking of the Battle Packs for this, they're doing a lot more of that stuff with CW and even the ROTS packs had a number. The 2packs aren't really army-builders in my mind because you'd end up building an army of Rexs and Codys that way, and they are individual characters. Plus, it's obvious they're going for the "now" aspect of storytelling from Clone Wars.

However, you do make a good point about those one-off repeat figures on that side-trip, and sets that are nearly all clones (except Yoda).

I'll vote for that one. Not sure about any of the others though. Not much of interest to me at the moment I'm afraid.

JediTricks

06-18-2009, 05:14 PM

I'll vote for that one. Not sure about any of the others though. Not much of interest to me at the moment I'm afraid.
I always count a new question as voted by the person who added it unless they've already used up their six, so yours is counted.

Mr. JabbaJohnL

06-18-2009, 06:52 PM

Okay, I like what you've done with the questions. In addition to 17, I'll vote for 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.

LTBasker

06-18-2009, 07:02 PM

Go however you feel seems right, you've read their answers on the whole thing and know where they are in responses. If it needs tweaking when I get to it, I'll just tone it up or down as needed. Begging doesn't generally get anything done though.

So true, so very true. Here's the new version. I admit I'm not sure if this is ALL of the ships that are considered to be impossible to find, obviously some may have been considered rare in some areas while abundant in others.

Ever since the disheartening announcement that Titaniums will be sentenced to an undeserving exile under a "hiatus" facade, loyal Titaniums collectors have been concerned and infuriated about the lack of future rerelease opportunity for ships that were moderately difficult to impossible to find. Adding insult to injury, the Bongo Sub - which we were even teased with the presence of at SDCC '08 - is victim yet again to the death of a line. Will you be making up for these catastrophes by offering these ships in limited runs on HasbroToyShop in the next year(s)? These highly coveted ships include; Bongo Sub (unreleased, obviously), Imperial Attack Cruiser, Millenium Falcon (ROTS Cameo), Anakin's Podracer, Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, Rogue Shadow, Luke Skywalker's X-wing (Sculpt 2), AOTC Naboo Royal Cruiser, Droid Gunship, Hailfire Droid, Trade Federation Landing Craft, P-38 Magnaguard Starfighter, Aayla Secura's Jedi Starfighter, and Biggs Darklighter's X-wing (Sculpt 2).

Thoughts?

clone157

06-18-2009, 10:14 PM

11, 15, and 17 sound great so far. With the joe HQ question that makes 4.

vger

06-19-2009, 10:01 AM

My votes are for 1 and 11 and:

Any plans for improved versions of TPM C-3PO and AOTC C-3PO? TPM C-3PO just needs knee joints and yellow eyes. AOTC C-3PO could be a repaint of the C-3PO Ewok Deity or, since it wouldn't be vac-metal, the amazing U-3PO B.A.D. sculpt.

So now I'm voting for 1, 11 and 13.

Cane_Adiss

06-20-2009, 12:38 PM

New, and more realistic I suppose, question:

Now that Hasbro has sculpted an Ugnaught that seems to be based on him, have you considered releasing a Yoxgit figure any time soon? The costume you've sculpted matches his pretty closely and you've even put an altered photo of Yoxgit on the front of the package! All you need to do is repaint the suit red, gloves black and use the tusked head and you have a perfect Yoxgit. Perhaps because of saved tooling costs, you could include another small Jabba's palace denizen (such as Attark, Wam Lufba or the fan-waving Jawa) to get us closer to completing the palace scene!

JediTricks

06-27-2009, 12:52 AM

Question 18 added.

So true, so very true. Here's the new version. I admit I'm not sure if this is ALL of the ships that are considered to be impossible to find, obviously some may have been considered rare in some areas while abundant in others.

Ever since the disheartening announcement that Titaniums will be sentenced to an undeserving exile under a "hiatus" facade, loyal Titaniums collectors have been concerned and infuriated about the lack of future rerelease opportunity for ships that were moderately difficult to impossible to find. Adding insult to injury, the Bongo Sub - which we were even teased with the presence of at SDCC '08 - is victim yet again to the death of a line. Will you be making up for these catastrophes by offering these ships in limited runs on HasbroToyShop in the next year(s)? These highly coveted ships include; Bongo Sub (unreleased, obviously), Imperial Attack Cruiser, Millenium Falcon (ROTS Cameo), Anakin's Podracer, Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, Rogue Shadow, Luke Skywalker's X-wing (Sculpt 2), AOTC Naboo Royal Cruiser, Droid Gunship, Hailfire Droid, Trade Federation Landing Craft, P-38 Magnaguard Starfighter, Aayla Secura's Jedi Starfighter, and Biggs Darklighter's X-wing (Sculpt 2).

Thoughts?I'm really not big on including repaints with a list of hard to find molds, it undermines the question by weighing it down with product some fans claim is the very reason the line collapsed.

As to the tone, it may be a little too accusatory even for us, they did keep the line going for us as long as they could, the management decision wasn't arbitrary. I'll rework it with your original question and add it, but I hope you're prepared for the very likely "nope".

New, and more realistic I suppose, question:

Now that Hasbro has sculpted an Ugnaught that seems to be based on him, have you considered releasing a Yoxgit figure any time soon? The costume you've sculpted matches his pretty closely and you've even put an altered photo of Yoxgit on the front of the package! All you need to do is repaint the suit red, gloves black and use the tusked head and you have a perfect Yoxgit. Perhaps because of saved tooling costs, you could include another small Jabba's palace denizen (such as Attark, Wam Lufba or the fan-waving Jawa) to get us closer to completing the palace scene!They just said they weren't going to be doing more 2-packs, even with the cost-savings of not having to tool a new figure up. And Lufba is pretty big for a pack-in anyway, he'd be the same size as the other Yuzzum we got, Joh Yowza.

As for Yoxgit, I'm hesitant. I normally don't do specifics, and we don't really know what the second Ugnaught head will look like, it should be fatter than Yoxgit's which seems like a smaller headed actor wearing it in ROTJ. And the existing body doesn't really look right in terms of costume or build. I'm not totally adverse to the idea, but I think it has to wait until we have the second figure.

LTBasker

06-27-2009, 01:26 AM

I'm really not big on including repaints with a list of hard to find molds, it undermines the question by weighing it down with product some fans claim is the very reason the line collapsed.

Good point, but since you didn't specify anything I just tossed in everything that seemed right.

As to the tone, it may be a little too accusatory even for us, they did keep the line going for us as long as they could, the management decision wasn't arbitrary. I'll rework it with your original question and add it, but I hope you're prepared for the very likely "nope".

Well you were aware of a potential "thrust to the jugular." :p I'm always prepared for the simple yet consistently cruel "nope," but still I feel the need to ask. How am I supposed to know slamming my head against a wall won't have a positive result if I don't try it? ;)

As usual nice work on the question revamping, much appreciated!

JediTricks

06-27-2009, 02:48 AM

I think there has to be a specific KIND of thrust about asking an accusatory question of Hasbro. If you're going for the jugular, you have to start sharp, keep a smooth action beyond the initial pierce, and finish with just enough flourish that they don't get personally insulted.

However, when you do that, don't expect them to then go and take your advice as well. :p

LTBasker

06-27-2009, 02:56 AM

Gorramit man, I'm an angry geek, not an english major! I can't manipulate the words to be as subtly deadly as that.

So, next time I'll describe it as, "a clumsy blunt wallop to the throatal section in hopes of a victorious blow to something vital with an emphatic attempt at the jugular." :D

JediTricks

06-27-2009, 03:06 AM

It's not the English part that's the problem, it's the diplomatic part. If you want them to do something you're suggesting, you can't be all knives and guns.

Kidhuman

06-27-2009, 10:54 AM

18, 17, 10, 5

JediTricks

06-27-2009, 03:30 PM

Just a reminder, because of the upcoming holiday, our deadline is going to be this Tuesday night rather than Wednesday.

LTBasker

06-27-2009, 03:47 PM

It's not the English part that's the problem, it's the diplomatic part. If you want them to do something you're suggesting, you can't be all knives and guns.

Admittedly I leave that to your talents, you've always been far better at diplomacy than the times I've tried.

Last of my votes:
13. - C-3PO needs new figures from across the saga, it's sad but true. The original Ep I Threepio figure was quite good, but he needs knee and ankle joints, perhaps the ability to hold the Anakin Skywalker podracing flag, and a little more accurate deco with yellow eyes and slightly toned-down wires. Episode II Threepio's removable parts gimmick hampered this figure's design, and since then we've gotten the fantastically-sculpted U-3PO Build-a-Droid figure, so that mold could sport the Ep 2 Threepio deco. And then there's the OT Threepio, which you've recently said is hampered with vac-metal bodies because LFL is stuck on the concept over a painted look. However, your team has produced some great-looking shiny silver protocol droids lately without vac-metallizing, and Hasbro's Marvel Universe team has been able to produce 2 different tones of shiny, metallic-looking gold colors on a few Iron Man figures, which are still super-articulated. Is something of those qualities still not to Lucasfilm's approval, or might we finally be seeing a truly super-articulated Threepio soon?
15. - There's been a great focus on troop-building with prequel- and Clone Wars-themed battle packs, especially lately, with even more on the way. Reasonable, after all, it is "Star *Wars*". However, this tactic hasn't been done all that much with the Original Trilogy troops, there are no squad packs or anything of that nature (except for the Tantive IV pack). Understanding that there is more troop-oriented storytelling going on with the era, there are still plenty of kids and casual collectors who want to set up battles with Stormtroopers and Rebel Troopers from all 3 OT films, the battle packs themselves can help do the storytelling to guide play. So why aren't we seeing more troop-building Battle Packs for the OT?
18. - The end of the Titanium era has brought much dismay to collectors, not simply because of the grim unlikelihood for the future behind the "hiatus" status, but also because it leaves many great ships nearly impossible to find. Many Titaniums that saw limited releases or worse and were expected to get re-released in the future are now going to be mythical at best, such as the Gungan Bongo Sub (now doomed to be postponed into eternity), Trade Federation Landing Craft, Anakin's Podracer, Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, Rogue Shadow, Luke Skywalker's X-wing (Sculpt 2), AOTC Naboo Royal Cruiser, Droid Gunship, Hailfire Droid, P-38 Magnaguard Starfighter, and more. What with the line's demise skunking the fans out of some great molds, would it be possible to get any sort of limited rereleases of these incredibly difficult to acquire treasures - and the ones that almost made it such as the Bongo - as HasbroToyShop exclusives? If not, why not? Isn't seeing ANY financial return on molds that haven't made their money back better than no return at all?

Mr. JabbaJohnL

06-28-2009, 12:54 AM

Based on our discussion in another thread, how about something like:

*Resculpts and Clone Wars outfits notwithstanding, there are around 20 or so outfits for Padmé Amidala that you could still produce, and nine years left until your license expires. That said, what's your plan for our favorite queen-turned-senator? Relatively lackluster sales of Breha Organa, another regal female character, might point to a lack of interest in new Padmé outfits; there's also the fact that many of the costumes are similar to one another in style and color, particularly her many dark blue and purple ROTS robes. However, when released in the proper numbers, Padmé can indeed be a strong seller, as seen in her Evolutions set and first Clone Wars figure. Do you plan on making all of her outfits over the course of the line? If not, then how many more do you think we can expect to see, and which ones are most likely?

JediTricks

06-28-2009, 04:09 PM

Question 19 added.

Based on our discussion in another thread, how about something like:

*Resculpts and Clone Wars outfits notwithstanding, there are around 20 or so outfits for Padmé Amidala that you could still produce, and nine years left until your license expires. That said, what's your plan for our favorite queen-turned-senator? Relatively lackluster sales of Breha Organa, another regal female character, might point to a lack of interest in new Padmé outfits; there's also the fact that many of the costumes are similar to one another in style and color, particularly her many dark blue and purple ROTS robes. However, when released in the proper numbers, Padmé can indeed be a strong seller, as seen in her Evolutions set and first Clone Wars figure. Do you plan on making all of her outfits over the course of the line? If not, then how many more do you think we can expect to see, and which ones are most likely?Oh man, so close! I was just gonna pop the thing into the system as-is, but then you got to "in proper numbers she can be a strong seller" which is an oxymoron because you're talking about super LOW numbers. Also, that Clone Wars figure is a poor example because A) it was pegwarming here, and B) it is aimed at a different audience so it hampers your point rather than supports it. Her evo set isn't a strong seller here either.

Also, I did the count, there are exactly 20 outfits left. 1 from TPM, 8 from AOTC, and 11 from ROTS.

And I took the accent mark e out, because it fouls up search results when I'm looking for answers in the Q&A archive. After all that, I've added the question.

BTW, here are my votes, it was rough, I had 9 questions I wanted to vote for, including #2 which nobody else seems to care about anymore, but only 6 slots so I had to pair it down to the stuff I thought could use the votes best:
5 xwing
6 sideshow
14 micro playsets
15 ot troop sets
16 joe hq
18 titaniums

Mr. JabbaJohnL

06-28-2009, 11:48 PM

Thanks for adding that. I had the "around 20 or so" since, in addition to her black TPM outfit, there's also the orange handmaiden disguise (seen on the Rabé figure but not on any Padmé) and the cloak for her Coruscant gown. Then she has two AOTC refugee outfits, one with the hood down and one with the hood up (among other differences), but I didn't know if they're the same but with or without an outer layer. Assuming they are different, there are nine AOTC outfits. And I only count nine from ROTS, going off of the Wookieepedia page (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Padme_Amidala%27s_wardrobe). So, I just think it'd be best if you changed "exactly" to "around", not that it makes a whole lot of difference.

Darth Marco

06-29-2009, 10:13 AM

My votes are for now is 12,13,15.

DarkJedi5

06-29-2009, 11:57 AM

4, 10, 11, 13, 15, and 19 for me.

Captain Rex

06-29-2009, 12:53 PM

I like numbers 2,5, and 17!

I'm really interested in the clone wars!
:love::thumbsup:

Ando

06-29-2009, 12:59 PM

Welcome to the boards, Captain Rex!

Are you in the Portland area?

bmeinze

06-29-2009, 01:39 PM

10, 11, 15

JediTricks

06-29-2009, 05:01 PM

Thanks for adding that. I had the "around 20 or so" since, in addition to her black TPM outfit, there's also the orange handmaiden disguise (seen on the Rabé figure but not on any Padmé) and the cloak for her Coruscant gown. Then she has two AOTC refugee outfits, one with the hood down and one with the hood up (among other differences), but I didn't know if they're the same but with or without an outer layer. Assuming they are different, there are nine AOTC outfits. And I only count nine from ROTS, going off of the Wookieepedia page (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Padme_Amidala%27s_wardrobe). So, I just think it'd be best if you changed "exactly" to "around", not that it makes a whole lot of difference.I was going by the Padawan's guide page, it doesn't count cloaked/uncloaked separately, and it separates by movie where the Wookieepedia page is less obvious. I'll take out "exactly" though. But if we can't even agree how many outfits there are, it seems pretty trivial to me to ask for figures of them. You already know my take on the whole situation though.

Boy, with all these new votes, this round is becoming quite the barnstormer, it's going to be an interesting race to the finish.

Darth Marco

06-30-2009, 10:07 AM

ADD 15,16, and 17 to my votes.

Obsession is Nute

06-30-2009, 01:23 PM

My final four are 9, 15, 18 and 19.

Thanks!

JediTricks

06-30-2009, 03:47 PM

Thanks for the votes.

For the rest of you: Last few hours to get those votes in.

mtriv73

06-30-2009, 04:53 PM

4, 11, 12, 13, 15,and 18

Great set of questions this time.

JediTricks

07-01-2009, 05:53 AM

Ok, that's it for this round. Thanks to everybody who participated!

I'm going to tally up the votes and send in the questions. Here are the questions we're asking this round:

There's been a great focus on troop-building with prequel- and Clone Wars-themed battle packs, especially lately, with even more on the way. Reasonable, after all, it is "Star *Wars*". However, this tactic hasn't been done all that much with the Original Trilogy troops, there are no squad packs or anything of that nature (except perhaps for the Tantive IV pack). Understanding that there is more troop-oriented storytelling going on with the Clone Wars era, there are still plenty of kids and casual collectors who want to set up battles with Stormtroopers and Rebel Troopers from all 3 OT films, the battle packs themselves can help do the storytelling to guide play. So why aren't we seeing more troop-building Battle Packs for the OT?
Having worked on the modern line for some time now, you've no doubt had to look back at the original Kenner line's grand history many times when deciding what the future of the modern line will be. So you've seen it all and made yourselves familiar with figures, vehicles, accessories, cards, boxes, and even baggies from the '78 - '85 Star Wars line. With that in mind, what does the current team consider some of the most oddball, head-scratching entries from that original Kenner line? What types of things do you guys look back and you can't even imagine doing with the modern line? (And should we give Mark Boudreaux a free pass since he actually DID work on that original line, or pull a "Sophie's Choice" and make him take sides?)
Recently, pictures surfaced of a few Clone Wars two-packs based around specific episodes, including characters from "Ambush" and "Rookies". While these look to be great ways to expand episode-specific collections, they also cover existing or already-planned ground. Why were some one-off clones like Thire and Echo chosen for inclusion in these sets when they're also being released via other avenues? It seems like it would make more sense to keep these characters unique to one release so that collectors wouldn't have to choose between releases. Will we be seeing more of these screen scene-type 2-packs, and will they be covering more types of characters beyond just clones? Out of the 4 two-packs we've seen so far, the only non-clone is Yoda.
C-3PO needs new figures from across the saga, it's sad but true. The original Ep I Threepio figure was quite good, but he needs knee and ankle joints, perhaps the ability to hold the Anakin Skywalker podracing flag, and a little more accurate deco with yellow eyes and slightly toned-down wires. Episode II Threepio's removable parts gimmick hampered this figure's design, and since then we've gotten the fantastically-sculpted U-3PO Build-a-Droid figure, so that mold could sport the Ep 2 Threepio deco. And then there's the OT Threepio, which you've recently said is hampered with vac-metal bodies because LFL is stuck on the concept over a painted look. However, your team has produced some great-looking shiny silver protocol droids lately without vac-metallizing, and Hasbro's Marvel Universe team has been able to produce 2 different tones of shiny, metallic-looking gold colors on a few Iron Man figures, which are still super-articulated. Is something of those qualities still not to Lucasfilm's approval, or might we finally be seeing a truly super-articulated Threepio soon?
Are there any plans to make an R6-series Astromech Droid, either as a build-a-droid or a basic figure? This would be the realistic-styled droid with the unique head, not the Clone Wars version that's visually just another R2. We currently have R1 through R5 and then R7, but no R6. The only new tooling for R6 would be a new dome, as the body is the same as the R2 and similar. And while we're on the subject, what about R8 and R9 droids?
This might seem like an odd request, but would you re-issue the old Kenner X-wing, specifically the POTF2 version, with some modifications? There's no X-wing at kid pricing anymore, the only OT vehicles at the Starfighter pricepoint are lonely TIEs with nobody to fight, and that classic X-wing had some decent sculpting, strong wings, and was fun to whoosh about. As well, the POTF2 version had a pretty decent deco (though pre-applied stickers would be nice), and that version also had the best sound effects in any X-wing (aside from the Power FX X-wing, but the sacrifices there are numerous), those sounds alone would sell another batch to collectors. To modernize it a bit, the ship could use a tune-up on the cockpit interior, the canopy exterior, the dedicated R2-D2, and the blaster cannon tips need to be reoriented to the proper upright position to get it ship-shape. Don't you think the kids today deserve an awesome X-wing fighter?